Technology Modernization Chairman Tom Barrett Pushes for Efficiency and Continued Modernization of VA’s Disability Claims IT System

Technology Modernization Chairman Tom Barrett Pushes for Efficiency and Continued Modernization of VA's Disability Claims IT System

Today, Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared at the start of the subcommittee's oversight hearing to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) implementation of the PACT Act to ensure the VA disability claims system technology efficiently and quickly processes compensation and pension claims for today and tomorrow's veterans.

Good afternoon. The Subcommittee on Technology Modernization will now come to order. The Chair may declare a recess at any time.

I want to thank our witnesses for joining us as we continue our oversight of the technology used by V.A. in processing benefits claims.

In February, we focused on the Digital G.I. Bill's troubled implementation and examined how acquisition reform could set V.A. up for success by ensuring they have the right people doing the right jobs from the very beginning of the planning process.

In April, the full committee held a hearing examining the administration's success in reducing the disability claims backlog. A large part of these efforts has involved an increase in the use of automation and technology.

We are here today to explore to what extent these technologies fulfill their purpose: to quickly, efficiently, and correctly process compensation and pension claims, especially following the implementation of the PACT Act.

Our focus today is not as much the software; it is how the V.A. manages the process.

Just like the Digital GI Bill, we see a massive disconnect between the Veterans Benefits Administration and the Office of Information and Technology. Because these two are siloed, the claims process remains outdated and complex.

With that being said, the question we should always ask ourselves is whether the process is working for Veterans.

Last month, during our field hearing in Grand Ledge, Michigan, I heard directly from veterans that it is not.

Instead of a working system, the men and women who served face an incredible burden getting the benefits they earned. They are forced to become their own private detectives, couriers, and administrators. They are expected to track down their own files, physically carry documents between private doctors and V.A. offices, and manage a bureaucratic maze just to get V.A. to live up to their end of the deal.

It was the outdated paper-based process that V.A. first began digitizing back in 2009 that led to today's Veterans Benefits Management System, or V.B.M.S. for short.

Today's hearing will evaluate V.B.M.S.'s performance over the years and how the platform has evolved as it struggled to keep up with the influx of claims.

Back in 2022, Congress recognized that VBA's aging I.T. infrastructure was in no way prepared to meet the increased demand of claims. That is why this committee required V.A. to put together a plan on how they would serve our veterans through technology.

In 2023, V.A. unveiled its 5-year modernization plan in accordance with section 701(b) of the PACT Act.

The last time this committee heard an update on the 5-year plan was in December of 2024. Today, we will hear from V.A. about their efforts and how this plan has guided the agency through more than 147 modernization efforts at V.B.A.

This proactive oversight framework was enacted to ensure V.B.A.'s I.T. modernization efforts were strategic and that V.B.A. wasn't running around with a blank checkbook.

Thankfully, the Trump administration has been focused on ensuring that it is executed accordingly, and as we come to the end of the plan in 2027, we must ask the question: How has technology evolved, and what will the future look like in how V.A. processes veterans' claims?

We cannot and should not repeat the mistakes of past V.A. I.T. projects and give V.A. a blank check.

Our job on the committee is to ensure V.A. is meeting the expectations of the law.

In this case - the PACT Act.

If a policy needs to be changed in order to align with modern technology, V.A. should be informing Congress of those recommendations so that we can get it right the first time.

In that same vein, when technology advances so quickly, policy - and the intent of Congress - must act as guardrails to ensure veterans' data is protected.

On this subcommittee, we will continue to ensure V.A. is using the future of technology to enhance the veteran experience and not replace the human deciding factor in the claims process.

Artificial Intelligence and automation are terms constantly used in this space.

Let me be clear: I will make sure there are strong guardrails where no veteran benefit claim is fully decided by A.I. or Automation.

There must be quality assurance policies to ensure that the use of A.I. and automation always have a human in the loop.

Thank you all, again, for being here today. I look forward to your testimony.

With that, I yield to Ranking Member Budzinski for her opening statement.

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